Sheet lifter



Nov. 14, 1939. c. D. TRUSSELL SHEET LIFTER Filed Nov. 14, 1938 I N VEN TOR.

Clarence Husse- Q m r, ATT j Patented Nov. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SHEET LIFTER Clarence D. Trussell, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., as-

signor to Trussell Manufacturing Company, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,301

12 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to sheetlifters for ring binders.

Objects of the invention are to provide a sheet lifter of simple, practical and inexpensive construction, readily manufactured from stock materials, which 'Wlll not add appreciably to the weight or bulk of the book or binder with which it is used, which will operate smoothly and easily in the opening and closing of the book and which will properly lift and support the leaves.

The objects mentioned and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts constituting the invention and hereinafter definitely described, illustrated and. broadly covered in patent claims.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the following specification illustrates certain practical embodiments of the invention. The structure however may be modified and changed in various ways all within the true intentand broad scope of the invention as defined and claimed. I g t Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the sheet lifters, spread out in flattened form.

Fig. 2 is an edge viewof the same, the parts i being shown in a separated diagrammatic form.

Fig. 3 is an end view also diagrammatic, showing the sides folded up to the closed position of v the lifter.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. l of the lifter in place in an opened ring binder.

Fig. 5 is a'similar View showing the lifter in the closed position.

Fig. 6 is'a broken sectional detail as on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic end view illustrating a modification of the lifter.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifter consists in the main of a single sheet of stiff material, such as fiberboard, creased across its intermediate portion on parallel lines 8, S, to define leaves or side panels 9, creased on parallel lines It), Ill, between said first fold creases to define truss panels H, H, and creased at l2, 12, between the last fold creases todefine a central I bridge panel l3 and panels l4, forming hangers for suspending the'bridge from the trusses l I.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the stock is shown creased and folded along the six parallel lines described but flattened out with the hanger portions M, at the edges of the bridge l3 in line with the latter and the sides 9, hinged on the lines Ill, to carry the truss portions [1, flat under the bridge and bridge suspending panels. 7

In Fig. 3, the sides are shown folded up together on hinge lines 12, thus to locate the central panel l3, in bridging relation across the parallel side portions suspended at its edges from the hangers M, which latter in turn are supported at their upper ends by the truss panels H, extending upward from the lower fold edges 8, of the two sides 9.

To stiffen and reinforce the lower edge por-' tions and to enable them to slide smoothly over To further integrate the parts, strengthen the hinge lines and to cover edges so that the leaves will slide smoothly into place in opening and closing a book, a liner or cover It is shown, consisting' of a sufliciently wide strip of flexible fabric or the like, adhesively secured at the inside of the lifter in position smoothly covering the bridge l3, hanger panels [4, upper portions of the stiffening strips and adjoining inside surfaces of the side pieces 9.

The hanger elements it may be adhesively secured to the upper end portions of the strut panels H, substantially as indicated at H, in Fig. 3, or, as shown at Ila in Fig. '7, the hangers M may be left free except where they are hingedly connected with the upper ends of the Supporting or truss panels ll.

Clearance slots l8 are cut through the adjoining layers of materials forming the sides, stiffeners, truss, hanger and bridge portions and in addition, the lower edges of the sides with enclosed stiffeners are shown notched at l9, to match the rings 20 of the binder.

The back 2i and covers 22 are indicated as conventional.

A lining plate 23, Figs. 4 and 5, is shown engaged over the rings and resting on the back of the binder metal to form a substantially flat support over which the folded rounded lower edges of the sides of the lifter will smoothly slide, from the Fig. 4 tothe Fig. 5 position and vice versa. v

In the open position Fig. 4, the leaves or sheets 24 rest flat and smooth on the flattened out intermediate portion of the sheet lifter. In this relation, the sheet lifter takes up practically no space in the binder and is out of the way for inserting or removing sheets. As the covers are closed, the sides of the lifter will be raised to the Fig. 5 position, fulcruming about the hinge lines I2, at the ends of the sheet supporting bridge it, with theirlower rounded and reinforced ends outwardly sliding freely over the liner 23. In such movement, the lifter is free to shift bodily toward one side or the other, thus to adapt itself, if necessary to suit the position of the book,

the movements of the covers and to settle and center the leaves smoothly over the rings. Cramping, bending and tearing effects are thus all avoided and the leaves are smoothly lifted and supported in both closing and opening operations. The leaf supporting bridge is suspended in a floated relation between the side pieces and can, if required, shift freely toward one side or the other to accommodate itself to particular movements and relations of the parts.

The lifter is easily and inexpensively manufactured, readily placed in any ordinary ring binder and while light in weight is strong and durable. The bridge being relatively stiff, operates as a transverse spacer to hold the sides of the lifter definitely spaced apart at all times. Also this flat stiff bridge positions and supports the leaves in accurately registered relation.

While proportions may vary, the height of the truss panels, in the closed folded relation of the parts may usually be about twice that of the hanger panels, substantially as indicated.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet lifter, comprising spaced lifter leaves and a fiat stiff bridge and spacer hingedly connected with said lifter leaves above the lower edges of the latter and holding said lifter leaves in definitely spaced relation.

2. A sheet lifter, comprising a flat stiff bridge piece, lifter sheets hingedly connected with the ends of said flat stiff bridge piece above the lower edges of said lifter sheets and thereby held at said points of pivotal connection in definitely spaced relation.

3. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having parallel fold lines across the intermediate portion of the same defining two sides, an intermediate bridge and truss panels supporting the ends of said bridge at a level above the lower edges of said sides.

4. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having parallel fold lines across the intermediate portion of the same defining two sides, an intermediate bridge and truss panels supporting the ends of said bridge at a level above the lower edges of said sides and a liner of smooth flexible material secured over the adjoining inner faces of said sides and hingedly supported bridge portion.

5. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having parallel fold lines across the intermediate portion of the same defining two sides, an intermediate bridge and truss panels supporting the ends of said bridge at a level above the lower edges of said sides and interposed stiifeners secured between the folds at the lower edges of said sides.

6. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having parallel fold lines across the intermediate portion of the same defining two sides, an intermediate bridge and truss panels supporting the ends of said bridge at a level above the lower edges of said sides, said sheet further having fold lines defining hanger panels interposed between the ends of said bridge and truss portions.

7. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having six parallel folds across the intermediate portion of the same defining sides, a central bridge portion, hanger panels at the ends of said bridge portion and truss panels hingedly connecting the ends of said hanger panels with the adjoining edges of the sides, said truss panels being of greater height than the hanger panels in the closed folded up position of the sides to hingedly support said bridge portion at a level above the folds connecting the lower ends of the truss panels with the lower edges of the sides.

8. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having six parallel folds across the intermediate portion of the same defining sides, a central bridge portion, hanger panels at the ends of said bridge portion and truss panels hingedly connecting the ends of said hanger panels with the adjoining edges of the sides, said truss panels being of greater height than the hanger panels in the closed folded up position of the sides to hingedly support said bridge portion at a level above the folds connecting the lower ends of the truss panels with the lower edges of the sides and layers of stiffening material interposed in said folds.

9. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having six parallel folds across the intermediate portion of the same defining sides, a central bridge portion, hanger panels at the ends of said bridge portion and truss panels hingedly connecting the ends of said hanger panels with the adjoining edges of the sides, said truss panels being of greater height than the hanger panels in the closed folded up position of the sides to hingedly support said bridge portion at a level above the folds connecting the lower ends of the truss panels with the lower edges of the sides and layers of stiffening material interposed in said folds and a smooth flexible liner secured over the inner faces of the sides, upper edge portions of said stiffening material, the inner faces of the hanger panels and the upper face of said bridge portion.

10. A sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having six parallel folds across the intermediate portion of the same defining sides,

a central bridge portion, hanger panels at the i ends of said bridge portion and truss panels hingedly connecting the ends of said hanger panels with the adjoining edges of the sides, said truss panels being of greater height than the hanger panels in the closed folded up position of the sides to hingedly support said bridge portion at a level above the folds connecting the lower ends of the truss panels with the lower edges of the sides and a lining of flexible material secured over the adjoining inner faces of said sides, hanger panels and bridge portion,

11. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet lifter, comprising a single sheet of stiff material having fold lines across the intermediate portion of the same, defining side panels, a central bridge panel and truss panels hingedly connecting opposite ends of said bridge panel with adjoining edges of said side panels.

12. A sheet lifter, comprising spaced lifter leaves and a fiat stiff bridge and spacer hingedly connected with said lifter leaves above the lower edges of the latter and holding said lifter leaves in definitely spaced relation and a liner of smooth flexible material secured over the adjoining inner faces of said lifter leaves and bridge.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

